[mmaimcal]R. Giacconi to receive Nobel Prize

[Al Wootten]

Folks,

Perhaps you all have heard the news that Riccardo Giacconi, for his X-ray
work,  and Ray Davis and Matoshi Koshiba, for their neutrino work,
have won the Nobel Prize in Astrophysics for 2002. The citation reads:

 The Sun and all other stars emit electromagnetic radiation at different 
wavelengths, both visible and invisible light, e.g. X-rays. In order to 
investigate cosmic X-ray radiation, which is absorbed in Earth?s atmosphere, 
it is necessary to place instruments in space. Riccardo Giacconi has 
constructed such instruments. He detected for the first time a source of 
X-rays outside our solar system and he was the first to prove that the 
universe contains background radiation of X-ray light. He also detected 
sources of X-rays that most astronomers now consider to contain black holes. 
Giacconi constructed the first X-ray telescopes, which have provided us with 
completely new -- and sharp -- images of the universe. His contributions 
laid the foundations of X-ray astronomy.

Congratulations to Dr. Giacconi.

Clear skies,
Al